Article content continued
“You must not value real women at all. Biology exists,” Dzaic wrote. “XX and XY exist, and don’t change. Checkmate.”
The activist Dzaic was tweeting at, Chase Strangio, is a transgender man.
In another tweet, Dzaic said “masculinity” is the reason men should not take paternity leave.
“We don’t give birth. That’s why,” he wrote. “Be the man and support your family.”
Farah El-Hajj, who is also running for Ward 7 councillor, described Dzaic’s past social media activity as “disturbing,” as well as uninformed and hurtful.
“It is reasonable to describe these tweets as ignorant, homophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic in nature,” El-Hajj wrote in a public statement.
El-Hajj pointed out that as recently as last month, Dzaic posted on Facebook arguing against the work of a new diversity and inclusion task force in the region.
“Leaders should be people who bring us all together for a common purpose, not those making dangerous and harmful and lasting statements,” El-Hajj wrote.
“As a candidate for city council, I believe that we must represent everyone in our ward, regardless of their gender identity, their sexuality, their race, their ethnicity, their religion.”
Howard Weeks, another candidate for Ward 7, described Dzaic’s past tweets as “totally unacceptable,” and denounced him for “spewing this kind of garbage.”
Weeks called for Dzaic to remove himself from the byelection. “As much as he may try to distance himself now, the statements he made cannot be unsaid.”
